Michigan City, IN – Award-winning golf course architect Raymond Hearn, ASGCA, has been selected by historic Pottawattomie Country Club for a renovation and restoration of its classic 1909 golf course.
The original nine holes (current holes 10-18) were designed by the legendary Tom Bendelow, and in 1965, Indiana-based architect Bob Simmons designed the second nine (currently 1-9).
“What an honor and privilege it is to work with this great historic club,” Hearn, founder of Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs, said. “Our goal is to create a comprehensive Master Plan that involves sympathetic restoration with some conventional restoration. The history, membership, terrain and course routing are all outstanding. We are currently involved with three outstanding Bendelow designed golf courses. The club is so unique with its membership drawing from three different states (IN, IL and MI). It is located minutes from Lake Michigan on a beautiful site. The Master Planning Committee is comprised of very passionate individuals that care deeply about their historic club. I look forward to working closely with them.”
Greens Committee Chair David Baldwin said Hearn was the unanimous selection of the club’s board from an original list of 10 notable architects.
“As soon as we began to work with Ray everyone saw why we chose his company for the project,” Baldwin said. “His work at Midlothian Country Club (1898) and Flossmoor Country Club (1899) in the Chicago area really impressed us. Ray shares the same passion and respect that we have for our unique Bendelow designed back nine and Simmons designed front nine. He talks of polishing up a real gem of a golf course.”
Baldwin, who like several members has Chicago roots, said Hearn will collaborate closely with the Master Planning Committee and key staff on design ideas, priorities, and phasing of projects, and he will also be offering opportunities for our entire membership to express their ideas.
“I liked the way Ray approached the club and our golf course,” he said. “I think some of us were concerned about having an architect come in and say they want to change things dramatically. It was clear from the start Ray wanted to preserve our history.”
Jamie Baldwin, who is not related to David Baldwin, is a third-generation member of the club from Michigan City and member of the Master Plan Committee. He said he is happy the board selected Hearn for the project.
“After hearing him talk I saw he realized we have a course with two nines from different eras, but nines that I think most of us feel complement each other,” Jamie Baldwin said. “I was also pleased he wanted our perspective on it. He watched four of us play, riding along, pointing out things he could see in the design that Bendelow created. He saw what we love about our golf course. He is also willing to listen and work with us so that we don’t have to shut down the course completely.”
NOTE: For additional information, photos or plans contact Greg Johnson of Greg Johnson Golf Media 616-560-8995 greggie24@hotmail.com or Raymond Hearn at 616-403-6181 ray@rhgd.com . For additional information on Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs, Inc. please see their web site at www.rhgd.com
